My Perfect Romantic Mixtape || by Mary Jayne Baker

30/06/2017

My new romantic comedy, Meet Me at the Lighthouse, is all about the power of music. The hero, Ross, is a talented singer-songwriter who teams up with heroine Bobbie to bring their town’s dilapidated Victorian lighthouse back to life as a music venue. Of course it’s not all smooth sailing, either for the lighthouse or the course of true love, with hostile councillors, ex-partners and secrets the two friends would just as soon keep buried waiting to throw obstacles in their way.

To celebrate the release, I’ve put together my perfect romantic playlist, just the thing for those candlelit, snuggle-filled evenings. You can find the Spotify playlist at the bottom of this post, or you can look the tracks up for yourself. Enjoy!

Angels – Robbie Williams

I had to include this one! In Meet Me at the Lighthouse, it’s the song Ross and Bobbie were slow-dancing to when they shared their first kiss, at a school disco when they were fourteen.

Sittin’ on the Dock of the Bay – Otis Redding

This one’s a bit more personal. It was playing in a Cambridge pub the night I met my partner of eleven years. I told him I loved that song, he said he did too, and the rest is history…

A Love That Will Never Grow Old – Emmylou Harris

This song makes me cry. It’s included on the soundtrack of one of my favourite film love stories, Brokeback Mountain, and always makes me think of Jack and Ennis’s doomed love.

Rose of my Heart – Johnny Cash

Ross in Meet Me is a big fan of Johnny Cash, and so am I! This is one of the last songs he recorded, and there’s a haunting quality to his voice in older age that I find compelling. I tend to think of this as being a tribute to his wife June Carter Cash, who’d died a few months previously.

Little Things Mean a Lot – Little Shoes Big Voice

My favourite version of this song. It sums up everything I feel about successful relationships: that it’s not the big romantic gestures but the little acts of thoughtfulness that are key to falling and staying in love.

Hallelujah – Jeff Buckley

Slightly odd choice, as I’m pretty sure the lyrics to this song are about disappointing sex (although that could be the English graduate talking…). But it’s very beautiful, both the imagery and the haunting melody. Often covered, but the Buckley version still wins for me.

The Way You Look Tonight – Tony Bennett

This always makes me think of the episode of Friends where Chandler gives Monica a mixtape featuring this song, only for ex-girlfriend Janice’s voice to interrupt while the two are dancing! It’s the law that this song has to be included on a romantic mixtape. Seriously. The actual law.

God Only Knows – Beach Boys

It was between this and Wouldn’t It Be Nice, but this one came out on top, just.

Moon River – Audrey Hepburn/Henry Mancini

I love Audrey, and her voice has just the right softness for this tune.

Somethin’ Stupid – Frank Sinatra

Again, I think there’s some sort of law about including Sinatra on a romantic mixtape. Spoilt for choice, but eventually I plumped for this lovely duet with daughter Nancy.

Sunshine on Leith – The Proclaimers

My mother-in-law introduced me to The Proclaimers, who I only previously knew as “the 500 Miles guys”. They’ve produced some gorgeous haunting love songs as well as the cheese classic, turns out. This one is my favourite.